I Feel Fat After Working Out?
You didn't go to the gym to leave feeling worse, less fit, more bloated and fatter. But this is a common feeling after an intense workout. The good news? It doesn't mean that you've gained weight. It is most probably the result of water rentention, muscle pump, and inflammation. Even if the number on the scale goes up - it doesn't mean you've gained fat.
Don't freak out if you feel like you've gained weight after a workout, just educate yourself as to what goes on in your muscles after exercising. If you drink lots of water before, during, and after a workout (GUILTY) you should expect some water weight gain. But don't worry it's only temporary.
The Pump:
For up to 30 minutes after a weight-training workout, swimming, cycling, you may feel full and tight. This happens because plasma is trapped in the muscles after contraction. You may see it as a sign of feeling fuller/fatter but it just means that your muscles have worked hard. For up to 30 minutes after a weight-training workout, swimming, cycling, you may feel full and tight. This happens because plasma is trapped in the muscles after contraction. You may see it as a sign of feeling fuller/fatter but it just means that your muscles have worked hard.
Muscle tears:
When you workout hard it causes microtears in your muscles. These microtears are part of the strengthening process but when this happens your body sends more fluid to your muscles to help the repair process. So if you feel fuller and fater after a workout it could do with all the extra fluid being sent to your muscles, this can also make the number on the scale go up.
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​Beat the bloat:
I am gulity of this but if you drink lots of water at the end of your workout you may feel bloated. This can also happen if you drink too little water and get dehydrated, which gets your body to overcompensate and hold on to more fluid leaving you feeling bloated.
It is impossible:
No matter how you feel after a workout you need to remember that is impossible for you to gain weight after a workout. You have to eat 3,500 calories to gain 1 pound of fat so unless your workout includes a session of extreme eating the feeling of fullness will go away.
Weight gain could also be the result of increased muscle mass, but a scale won't tell you this. It cannot tell you how how much of your weight is fat mass or lean body mass. A body fat test will let you know if you have a healthy ratio of muscle to fat as a result of your exercise efforts.
Happy Healthy Living,
Sirine
